Well well well

We?ve arrived at the Rubicon


4th on the Ladder 


I?ve spoken with the Barometers 
Envoy and the prediction is finishing 


3rd to 5th


I?ll take that !! And a big run in the 
Play Offs 


I?ll personally predict 4th


But remember the Barometer has only been wrong once in the last 25 years 

Considering we've played the best 2 teams 5 times already and had a raft of injuries, couldn't be any happier with where we are sat. I don't think anyone would have believed we would be 4th after 9 rounds. 


Hopefully we can get the win on Sunday then have a much needed week off and hopefully we'll be welcoming some players back for the Leeds game.

We've been much better than I expected but I do worry that we looked devoid of ideas in that 2nd half yesterday.  Hopefully just a game too far and we'll be better next week then have a couple of weeks to recover before we start again. We also have to remember that the bulk of our home games come towards the back end of the season so if we can pick up more away wins then actually start to win some at home we should be well placed for a real tilt at a play off place.


The league is very tight though and a couple of losses could suddenly see us sat in 9th.


We've also not played Salford. If they don't go bust i wonder what they will do about their results and the loop fixtures 

Isn?t it typical that rovers play Salford at Magic ! 

If Salford go bust then the only fair way to do things is void every result against them and deduct any points already won.Loop fixtures have already meant some teams will play them 3 times which is a bit of an unfair advantage over the rest of the league. But it would then throw up a counter argument that any team who didn't have Salford as a loop fixture then would have had a chance at an additional 2 points that somebody such as Rovers/Leeds would have had taken away.


Salford really have made a bit of a mess of the league this year. Gifting Saints a +80 point PD in game 1 could be crucial late on in the season for playoffs/top 4/whatever, in a league that is currently so tight (4 teams on 10 points but their PD is so much better)

I don't think we can complain given we're playing a team that's won less games than Salford! 

The lack of attacking ideas yesterday was concerning.


Hopefully, just an off day.


Current position better than we could of wished for.

In the Mail Carty explains our soft under belly and lack of basic skills.
Our completion rates are an issue in big games and discipline.


So basically he?s described what his 
Job is ! 


Watching the Wigan game we were schooled in the Basics 


So again we have a Coach whose job it is to CHANGE the team on a fundamental level.


Can he do it ? He?s done very well so far and let's see how we do in the Play Offs 


I am excited about the next 2 years after this one.


This season - 4th is great for me and I?ll see how we go in the play offs and how our completion rates are in those games 

Bloody fantastic Forget the Union Jack's & flags of St George
We've got the b & w flags flying proudly down our street.
Party time, vol au vents, ice cream and jelly, all the usual.
Love a Barometer day we do.

One thing's for sure, the legendary nine-game barometer in 2025 is pointing towards sunnier days ahead, unlike the past two years where all it was indicating was storm clouds gathering!


We're way ahead of expectation, of anything any of us could have dared hope for. Even if we had won four of these opening nine (Leigh, Hudds, Wakey, Cas) I would have taken that as a positive start. When I viewed these opening fixtures I had real concern we could find ourselves nought from nine and rock bottom again! It was more fervent hope rather than expectation on my part before the season started. All I was looking for was some commitment and organization and, by and large, we've had that most weeks from this team.


We've had three unexpected big wins, Catalans and Wire away plus the Wigan cup victory. The only really disappointing performances for me have been the rovers cup defeat and yesterday's loss, and I think yesterday we simply ran out of a bit of gas when coming up against the best.


Looking ahead, the remaining fixtures are a lot more even than these opening nine. Think the games against Saints, Leeds, Leigh, Wire and Cats will decide whether 2025 turns out to be a totally unexpected excellent year or merely a slightly deflated so-so one in the end. If we can continue to pick up these away wins, then we will be in a strong position when that run of home games kicks in the latter part of the year.


There's still an awful lot of rugby still to be played (18 games) and ultimately we could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Realistically, I think we'll be somewhere between fifth and eighth. Injuries (or lack of) will play a major part in how we go, a couple of key players missing for an extended period could harm us badly. I also wonder if we can maintain the necessary level of performance needed to keep racking up the wins. Don't think it would take too much of a drop in performance standard for us to become vulnerable, particularly in those games I mentioned above.


I had us tenth before we started. I honestly believed we were in too big a hole to be able to climb out of it in one go, so these opening nine games have way exceeded my expectation. Still a long way to go and still a lot of hard work and good recruitment to complete before we can truly compete at the upper end again, but for encouraging signs these opening nine games have been hard to beat.


Let's hope the 18-game barometer still registers 'sunny days ahead'!! 

I just want us to keep the never say die attitude we've had and be competitive in most games.  I had no expectations of a play off place this year and still don't really so just winning a decent number of games between now and seasons end and not being battered will do for me

There's no perfect solution for Magic fixtures Salford were a 4th placed side last year while we were at the bottom with Hudds so they seemed good match ups at the time.


Derby's have been done to death and some teams dont have a derby, if they announce the fixtures too late people don't book etc etc.


As for this season I'd say we wouldent have expected to win at Catalan or Wire, but maybe would have fancied our chances with Leigh at home. So I'd say we are 5 points ahead of my expectations so far with seemingly easier games to come, we need to finally at long last end a season well though.